Structure v Agility - the Wrong Debate

Why Structure Is Essential to Growth

When you work in the world of leadership, familiar themes crop up time and again. One debate that resurfaces regularly is structure versus agility, especially in conversations about growth and scaling up. The prevailing narrative suggests that small organisations thrive without rigid structure but, as they grow, must choose between introducing more structure or risking the loss of creativity and adaptability.

To me, this distinction is overly simplistic. Equating structure with rigidity is a lazy assumption - the reality is far more nuanced.

Reading Gilbert Enoka’s book, Become Unstoppable: The Blueprint from the World’s Most Successful Sports Team, I was pleased to see him highlight the value of structure. Enoka, mental skills coach for the legendary All Blacks and many other elite sports teams, shares a model central to their success: the Performance Triangle, with its three equally critical sides - mindset, skillset, and structure. Mindset refers to their attitude and approach; skillset to the expertise each member brings; and structure, the frameworks, routines, and rituals that guide and support performance.

When Enoka presents this triangle to CEOs, he asks them to identify its superpower. Most choose mindset, a few opt for skillset, but structure is rarely mentioned.

I understand why. Mindset is the engine behind everything, and skillset’s relevance is self-evident. Structure, by contrast, is easy to overlook - seen as mundane, unremarkable, even dull.

Yet, time and again, I’m reminded of its importance. Here are a few examples, at both micro and macro levels, that illustrate how structure powers performance - and I hope these spark ideas relevant to your own life or organisation.

·       With the All Blacks, Enoka notes that new players arrive driven by ambition - wanting to be the best, play 100 tests, and so on. Their skillsets got them selected. But without structure and discipline, raw talent and passion go nowhere. Structures manage energy, enforce routines, and ensure proper prehab and rehab. At an organisational level, schedules, training blocks, commercial commitments, and recovery periods all run to a precise cadence to ensure optimum performance.

·       Many organisations lack a set cadence or agenda for senior leadership meetings. The result: inconsistent discussions, missed priorities, and poor decision-making.

·       Research in medicine—such as sepsis diagnosis—shows the power of checklists. Structured prompts outperform reliance on memory and experience.

·       How often have you planned strategies as a team, only to see them derailed by daily distractions or outside events? Execution improves dramatically when structured processes ensure follow-through.

·       A simple but powerful change many clients make: reserving weekly blocks for ‘thinking/strategising’ instead of hoping it will happen spontaneously.

·       Similarly, replacing vague ‘open door’ policies with dedicated office hours makes it easier for colleagues to connect and ask questions.

·       These examples embody a key principle of behaviour change: make good behaviours easy and bad behaviours hard. A classic example of this, in terms of your own wellbeing and performance, is having a set exercise routine, with your gym bag ready at the door - dramatically increasing follow-through.

Ultimately, structure and agility aren’t adversaries. They’re partners. The key is to ensure your structures are proportionate and clearly aligned with the results you want.

So, consider: what structures in your work or personal life aren’t serving your goals? What are you missing that you should put in place? Mindset and skillset matter - but without structure, progress and growth stalls.

 For more on this or any aspect of leadership and performance, with a healthy dose of mindset, sport, and I hope usefulness thrown in, do feel free to browse through all the articles in the Huddle, or get in touch with me directly on catherine@sportandbeyond.co.uk. To order a copy of my book - Staying the Distance: The Lessons From Sport That Business Leaders Have Been Missing – click here .